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Warren Sapp Joins All-Star Lineup for 'INSIDE THE NFL'
COMING TO SHOWTIME SEPTEMBER 10
NEW YORK, Aug. 19 -- Former NFL All-Pro defensive lineman
and Super Bowl champion Warren Sapp will join analysts Phil Simms and Cris
Collinsworth and host James Brown to complete an all-star lineup on INSIDE
THE NFL when the series launches this September on SHOWTIME. The
announcement was made today by Matthew C. Blank, Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer, Showtime Networks Inc. and Sean McManus, President, CBS
News and Sports and Executive Producer, THE NFL ON CBS.
INSIDE THE NFL on SHOWTIME will premiere on Wednesday, Sept. 10 (9:00
PM, ET/PT). The show, produced by CBS Sports and NFL Films, will air on
SHOWTIME each Wednesday during the NFL season through February 11, 2009.
The 31-year-old, Emmy(R) Award-winning program will continue to deliver
in-depth highlights from every game, every week, coupled with the analysts'
breakdown of the upcoming matchups and debates over the league's hot
topics.
"This is a dream job," said Sapp, who has served as a guest analyst on
CBS Sports' NFL pre-game show, THE NFL TODAY. "It's the job I've always
talked about wanting after my playing career. INSIDE THE NFL has been a
staple of television for a long time. The show digs deeper into the games
and the issues surrounding the league more than any other football show out
there. I think this new approach will be fresh. For my part, I just came
off the field and I've got 13 years of experience in the trenches to bring
to the table."
"With his defensive perspective, Sapp is the perfect complement to
Simms and Collinsworth," said Blank. "And having just come off the field,
his energy will help push the boundaries of the show to new limits. We are
thrilled to have him on SHOWTIME."
"Warren Sapp never held back on the field and we don't expect him to
hold back in his commentary," said McManus. "Football fans tuned in to
watch him play each week, we expect them to do the same each week to hear
what he has to say."
Sapp was drafted 12th overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1995.
After only two years in the league he was named to his first of seven Pro
Bowls in 1997. He was named 1999 Defensive Player of the Year, was named to
the NFL All-Decade team and recorded 77 sacks as a Buccaneer, the second
highest in team history. In 2002, Sapp led the Buccaneers to the best
record in team history (12-4) and to victory in Super Bowl XXXVII. In 2004,
Sapp signed with the Oakland Raiders. After a down year in '04 and an
injury plagued season in '05, Sapp returned to his All-Pro form in 2006.
Sapp played one more season with the Raiders in '07 before announcing his
retirement on Jan. 4, 2008. Along with co-hosting INSIDE THE NFL in 2008,
Sapp will serve as studio analyst and game commentator for The NFL Network.
Sapp and his wife, JaMiko Vaughn, have been married since 1998. The couple
has two children, Mercedes and Warren, II.
Past hosts throughout 31 years of the award-winning INSIDE THE NFL have
included Chuck Bednarik, Nick Buoniconti, Cris Carter, Collinsworth, Bob
Costas, Len Dawson, Jerry Glanville, Merle Harmon, Jimmy Johnson, Peter
King, Dan Marino and Al Meltzer.
Sean McManus and Steve Sabol of NFL Films serve as Executive Producers
of INSIDE THE NFL.
ABOUT SHOWTIME NETWORKS
Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS
Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME(R),
THE MOVIE CHANNEL(R) and FLIX(R), as well as the multiplex channels
SHOWTIME 2(TM), SHOWTIME(R) SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME(R), SHOWTIME
BEYOND(R), SHOWTIME NEXT(R), SHOWTIME WOMEN(R), SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE(R) and
THE MOVIE CHANNEL(R) XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD(R), THE MOVIE
CHANNEL(R) HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND(R) and THE MOVIE CHANNEL(R) ON DEMAND.
SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between SNI and the
Smithsonian Institution. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby
Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events
for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME
PPV(R).
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